Kyla Pratt Exclusive Interview

KYLA PRATT:
Hotel For Dogs is a fun family film. It’s for everybody who loves anybody, who feels like they’re a part of a family with someone, and anybody who loves dogs. It’s about two young kids who are orphaned, and they run across this old hotel and decide to make a family for these dogs who are strays and get put in the pound and put to sleep. They want to save dogs.

THE STAR SCOOP:
The character you play, Heather, what is she like?

KYLA PRATT:
Heather is funny. Heather is really talkative, and she’s really into the main character, Dave. They’re more of friends than anything. She looks at the main character, Andi, who is played by Emma Roberts, as kind of the competition. You’re not sure in the beginning of the film if she’s going to be a friend or an enemy. She turns out to be a friend, because she loves dogs the same, and wants to help them. [Heather’s] very talkative. She thinks she knows everything about dogs, which she doesn’t. She was fun, fun to play.

THE STAR SCOOP:
Why did you want to be involved in this film? What stood out the most?

KYLA PRATT:
I think the whole deciding factor was Don Cheadle. I was reading the script, and I loved the script, and I was like, this is gonna be really good. They were telling me about all the different people who were gonna be in it, and I saw Don Cheadle’s name, and I’m like, oh, absolutely.

THE STAR SCOOP:
Is he someone you’ve wanted to work with for a long time?

KYLA PRATT:
I never really thought about it, because I never really pictured it happening in the near future. So it was a shock and surprise. It was exciting. When the time came up, I was just like, What? Like this is a possibility? I love working with people who I admire, and who I look up to, and being able to work with them and see that they’re so nice and such great actors, it makes me want to support him even more.

THE STAR SCOOP:
Did you have a chance to learn anything new from working with him?

KYLA PRATT:
I just loved the fact that he was so nice. Professional at the same time. I always say that every time I go on a set, I learn from the experienced actors around me and to have fun doing what you’re doing, but when it’s time to work, it’s time to work. It was surprising for me, because we had one scene where he’s at the top of the steps and he’s talking to the entire audience. You hear of these other actors who are big time and A list actors that don’t do off-camera work, but him, he was like, sitting off camera, reading every single line to us, and I was amazed, like, Oh my gosh. You see, not everybody in the business is crazy! [laughs], It felt like he wanted to help other actors as well, so we could have the motivation. It was so much fun working with him. I loved him…he was so nice.

THE STAR SCOOP:
How did you and Emma Roberts get along? What were the initial phases like as you were getting to know each other?

KYLA PRATT:
I love Emma. Emma is so much fun to be around and she’s hilarious. Emma’s great because I wasn’t sure how everything was going to be, because I was older than the other actors in the movie who are the “kids.” She was 16 at the time, Jake was 12, and I’m 22. So it was just like, I hope they’re mature enough to have a good conversation and immature enough to play around with me. And they were! Emma was great. So much fun to work with. Jake T. Austin is such a professional, such a little cutie pie. Johnny Simmons was so much fun. Everybody was really professional. That just made it great to see how Emma’s able to carry a movie. She’s working hard, hard working lady. Everybody thinks it’s easy but to carry a movie and to do three hours of school a day, you’ve got to give people their props for that.

THE STAR SCOOP:
How can you convince our readers to check out Hotel For Dogs?

KYLA PRATT:
Hotel For Dogs is a real feel good movie. It’s a movie that you watch and you root for the main characters, and at the end it lights you up inside, makes you feel good about having stepped out of the house to go see this film. Especially if you’re a dog lover, and even if you’re not a dog lover, if you have a family, if you have anybody that you love and you want to be close with and have that bond with, you’ll enjoy this film. That’s the kind of films I like, something that I can walk away and feel good about.

THE STAR SCOOP:
You’ve grown up on TV, being involved in so many projects since you were a very young age. Is it hard for your fan base and audience to realize that you’re older now and that in the future you might not do the same sort of younger roles that you have in the past?

KYLA PRATT:
I think it’s very difficult for my fan base or the people who have grown up to realize that I am older than what I am. I went to the movies the other day, and the person in front of me got carded to go see a rated R movie, so I took out my ID, like, okay I’m old enough. Before the lady even looked at my ID, she was like, are you even 18? She looked at my ID, and was like, oh my gosh, I can’t believe you’re that old. I’m like, I’m not that old! [laughs]. Everybody still sees me as a little girl, even people in the industry. They’ll see me at an awards show and be like, What do you have on? Put some clothes on! And I’ll be like, I’m older, I’m grown. And they’ll say, where’s your mom? How’d you get here? I know you didn’t drive. I’m older you guys, come on! To me it’s a blessing to be able to play younger. One day I do plan on doing other roles besides kids films and people are just going to have to grow up with me [laughs].

THE STAR SCOOP:
Having a younger audience, do you feel it’s important to make sure you’re a good role model for those fans?

KYLA PRATT:
I love being a good role model. I’m the oldest of five kids. I love doing stuff that they can watch, and not having to hide something that I did from my little sister or little brother. I love for them to have somebody to look up to. I have to lead as an example. One day I might do a film that is different from that, but our younger generations have to be taught that this is just entertainment. This is just a job. As an actress, I have to play all types of different characters. Characters that are realistic, and characters that aren’t. One day it’s going to be a really hard transition for people to understand. Please teach them that I’m a human being. I’m not a saint. I’m not an angel, let them know to be themselves and make good decisions for themselves. This is a big world. I can’t say that for the rest of my career I’m going to be doing kids movies and teenybopper films.

THE STAR SCOOP:
Do you have any other projects that you’re working on at the moment? What’s next?

KYLA PRATT:
I’m not sure what’s next right now. The industry is really slow because of the possibility of the SAG strike. I’m in school at the same time. Kicking back and auditioning, just living. Dr. Dolittle 5 is coming out soon. It’s going straight to DVD. It’s Dr. Dolittle: A Tinsel Town Tail. The first one we did I was nine years old. It’s a really fun family film, another film for people who love animals. It will be out soon, and people will enjoy it. It’s the last one, so we had to come out with a bang.

THE STAR SCOOP:
What do you want to say directly to your fans?

KYLA PRATT:
To anybody who’s ever watched or ever bought anything that I’ve ever been in, thank you so much for your support. I’m truly blessed to be able to do something that I love and I want to thank you for supporting me. Because without you supporting everything that I do, my career is impossible. So, thank you and live your dreams, and enjoy yourself. Love yourself, because if you don’t no one else will.a